Representative image.
Credit: iStock Photo
While I can generally remember a lot of things, when it comes to dates and numbers, something happens to me. I forget numbers and dates, and as a consequence, I have missed flights and trains, and the worst was when I went to deliver a training on the wrong day.
Around 25 years back I had gone to Delhi to attend the wedding of two of my friends. Post the wedding I checked out from the hotel and reached the railway station to board my train to Vadodara. When I reached the designated platform, I met the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) to check my seat. I am not sure if he was amused or had a smirk on his face. He told me, “Madam, you are at the right station and platform but not on the right date. Your ticket clearly states that you are required to board the train the following day.” I was not sure how to react to this but returned to my room and boarded my train the next day.
Again I was travelling by train from Vadodara to Bengaluru post a fundraising event (a play) I had attended. My co-passengers were the cast from the play, and we started talking and playing antakshari. The TTE came to check the tickets, and I gave him mine with a big smile. He looked at me and (I guess) wondered, what was wrong with me? He simply asked me, “Madam, where are you travelling and on which date?” I smiled and said to Mumbai and proudly rattled off the date. He said, “Everything is correct, except that you are one day early.” I pleaded with the TTE to allow me to continue the journey, and he said, “Madam, it is not possible, and even if I allow you, the next TTE who will be boarding the train may not allow you to continue the journey on this train.” Moreover, the seat I had occupied was already allotted to another passenger who would be boarding at the next station. With no choice left, I bid goodbye to my travel mates and returned to Vadodara.
Recently I had to conduct a training programme for some college students, and the faculty who was in touch with me sent me an email and spoke to me with the details (date, time and other logistics). I reached the college and went looking for the faculty and was escorted to the office of the said faculty. I greeted her and saw the surprise on her face and was in a “shock”.
I asked her if the training was on. I think they were in a “shock”. I asked her again if the training was on. She smiled and said, “Yes, Ma’am, but tomorrow.” I did not know how to react and just apologised to her.
Looking back at these incidents, I wonder if numbers and I do not get along or…